Comic-Con

Since Doctor Who's first appearance at Comic-Con last year, its stateside popularity has continued to grow, making it one of the most sought-after panels at the convention. It's difficult to even take a few steps without spotting a costume inspired by the show. From our interviews with the cast — Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill, and Karen Gillan, along with executive producers Caroline Skinner and Steven Moffat — and the Hall H panel, find out what you can expect from season seven (the last with the Ponds!) and the answers to some of the series' long-burning questions.

• Daleks, daleks, daleks — The extermination crew is back with a major vengeance in season seven's first episode. Expect Daleks bigger than we've ever seen and loads more than have ever fit on the screen before.
• Saloon tussles — We knew the TARDIS journeyed to the American Old West this season, but the cowboys aren't so keen on the new folks in town. An extended teaser in Hall H showed the Doctor getting into an old-fashioned saloon brawl (toothpick in mouth and all) for his alien ways.
• Dinosaurs on a spaceship — No signs of a Samuel L. Jackson cameo, but an upcoming episode clip showed the Doctor and his "gang" — which includes a lovestruck Nefertiti and a turn-of-the century game hunter played by Sherlock's Rupert Graves — crisscross the far past and future to end up greeted by dinosaurs rushing toward them on a contained spaceship. Think of the Jurassic Park crossover potential!
• All in the family — We know Amy Pond was sent to years of therapy as a child for her nonstop talk of a man in a blue box, but as an adult, she's never shown any hint that her or Rory's families are aware of their children's universe-trotting ways. Get ready for an appearance by Mr. Brian Williams (Rory's dad) as he is accidentally scooped aboard the TARDIS and into an adventure.
• Big Apple tragedy — Here's what you need to know about the Ponds' final episode as the Doctor's companions: it's the fifth episode of the season, it's set in New York, Weeping Angels are involved, and you will need many tissues nearby for their emotional departure.

Keep reading for more news from Doctor Who at Comic-Con, including who knows the answer to the show's one persistent question.

The True Blood panel at Comic-Con is always a fun one, because we get to see new footage, the cast loves joking around, and well, it's an eye candy party. For this year's panel, Joe Manganiello, Alexander Skarsgard, Stephen Moyer, Sam Trammell, and Christopher Meloni showed up and looked hot, as did their female costars, Rutina Wesley, Deborah Ann Woll, Kristin Bauer, and Anna Paquin. Anna was glowing with her growing baby bump. The cast and creator Alan Ball (who is departing after this season) gave some details about the rest of season five, and they even got around to talking about Fifty Shades of Grey and Magic Mike — and we saw some hot moves from some of the panelists. Read on for the highlights.

• We saw a preview of the remainder of the season, with lots of juicy tidbits. The most interesting things I saw were a very alive-looking Luna, a flash of Godric, Sookie trying to get rid of her fairy powers through a ritual that would make her forget Eric and Bill, and Sookie and Bill hooking up again.
• For the rest of season five, Ball teased that we will see three more romances, but he wouldn't say who they're between. He was more forthcoming about sex scenes, saying we'll get some "very hot sex scenes," and some "wacky, what-the-f*ck sex scenes. All tastes will be satisfied." We definitely know one of those participants will be Alcide, because Manganiello declared, "I sexually eviscerate one of the other cast members." I assume it's Sookie, but really, I don't care who Alcide gets it on with, as long as we see Alcide get it on!
• Skarsgard was asked how he felt about his name being tossed around for Fifty Shades of Grey, and Skarsgard said, "I gotta read that book." While he mentioned that he hadn't seen a script either, Moyer wisecracked, "He's just lived the life."
• New castmember Meloni talked about the differences between True Blood and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, cracking that "trying to figure out what's a sex crime on this show is very difficult." It sounds like he's having fun, though, because he said that he loved his recent scene in which he stakes a child vampire because it was so shocking. "It's pretty much the one thing I wanted to do." If he was going to be a vampire, he said, "I was like, 'You gotta let me stake someone.'"

Read the rest of the highlights, including the Magic Mike-inspired strip show after the jump.